How To Cook Everything: 10/21/09
This week we wanted to try something with beef since we hadn't yet. Due to time constraints and last minute planning, we decided to go with a quick and easy All-American combo: steak and mac and cheese. Val used her mothers much beloved mac and cheese recipe, while I took on the steak.
The mac and cheese recipe was fairly simple, involving a sauce of milk, flour, and shredded cheddar poured over cooked elbow macaroni and baked in a 350 degree oven for a half hour. The result was homey and filling, something to curl around on a cold night. And unlike my recipe, you can have it more than once a year without feeling guilty. Next time Val wants to try adding some fresh parmesian and breadcrumbs to the mix, and I think that might be a good addition.
I was lucky enough to find some huge rib-eye steak on sale, so I went with those and purchased a nifty spice mix to make a dry rub with (we didn't have enough time to make a marinade). I was a little nervous about cooking this cut of beef since I've never done it before, so I broke down and bought a meat thermometer. The steaks were exquisite, to my surprise, and not dry or tough at all. I think they would go very well with a red wine reduction, and next time I am defintely taking the time to marinade.
On a somewhat related note,
chibi_trillian and I went down to vist
skyrat13 and
genuinelie at their new apartment. Getting down there and back was a pain, because Annapolis is laid out like the crayon-drawn treasure map of a dyslexic child on a sugar high. But we made it, and on time to boot.
They did an awesome job of entertaining, it felt like a very adult sort of dinner party. genuinelies put out fantastic appetizers, including a bowl of green olives stuffed with blue cheese. Now I'll admit: I can't stand olives. Never have, although when I think about it black olives might be the things that traumatized my taste tubs at a tender age. Whatever. I was starving, so I decided to throw caution to the wind and give it a try.
I'm so glad I did, because they ROCKED. I just could not stop munching on them; the only thing that would make them better would be a cold glass of beer [ /butchness]. She also whipped up a fabulous batch of oven roasted asparagus drizzled with olive oil and salt. Mmm. It made me really want to make some of my own, with a hollandaise. Dessert was a divine batch of chocolate chip pumpkin scones. Sounds weird, tastes wonderful. Thanks again for having us over, you guys!